It works with all of the major operating systems across both PC and mobile devices.

We looked at the reviews written across five big sites and on average the Fitbit Zip scored 4.2 out of 5.

We love ours and give it a 5/5 as it exceeds all of our needs and does an excellent job of counting steps.

Fitbit Zip

Fitbit Zip

The Fitbit Zip does an excellent job counting steps which is what we wanted it to do.

Is offers less features than the Fitbit One but it can be half the price.

Again, depending on the features you are looking for, this may or may not be the better buy.

My two sons each own this model and are very happy with them.

This tracker runs on a battery, the flat coin type.

Typically, the battery lasts for 6 months of continuous use.

The fact that this comes with a battery that lasts for 6 months is a very positive advantage over other Fitbit models, like the Fitbit One where you have to charge it weekly.

It helps to buy an extra battery for the Fitbit Zip in advance so that you have it when the original wears out.

(There are other Fitbit models like the Fitbit Flex that you have to charge every couple of days.

This doesn’t sound like a big deal and it really isn’t except that once you start tracking your daily steps, it is disappointing if you forget to charge your Fitbit overnight and then have to charge your Fitbit during the day and not count your steps while it is charging.)

Fitbit One vs Fitbit Zip on colors:

If you opt for the Fitbit Zip, there are more choices for colors than offered for the Fitbit One.

You can buy it in black, lime, midnight blue or magenta.

The device/tracker is that color as is the case/clip to wear it and protect it.

The Fitbit Zip comes with both the device and case/clip, as well as what you need to register it and sync it.

The bright colors make it more appealing for children as well and will be easier to keep track of.

You don’t want to find it at the bottom of the washing machine!

But my kids each have the black ones and haven’t lost them yet.

Son’s Fitbit Zip

The Fitbit Zip tracker measures:

Steps

Distance covered

Calories burned

Ability to enter your food and water consumption

Fitbit Zip offers:

See the time on the display

See your daily steps, calories burned and distance traveled on the display

Social integration

Access to an online site

Water resistant

The Fitbit Zip weighs 8 grams; dimensions: length: 1.4″; width: 1.1″; thickness: .38″ It works with all of the major operating systems across both PC and mobile devices.

We looked at the reviews written across five big sites and on average the Fitbit Zip scored 3.8 out of 5.

For my sons and our purposes — counting steps and having Fitbit challenges with each other — we give it a 5/5.

It has definitely become so much more fun for them to be more active.

Main differences between Fitbit One vs Zip

Features: Fitbit One offers more features, including being able to track sleep and tracks the flights of stairs climbed each day.

Battery: Both have a battery but the Fitbit One offers a rechargeable one lasting 10-14 days.

The Fitbit Zip offers one that cannot be recharged and that needs to be replaced every six months.

The Fitbit Zip is affordable enough that if it is lost, it will not be terrible (like when we broke the screen on the two month old iPad mini).

My boys own black Fitbit Zips and like that they can discreetly look at them in school without getting in trouble for being distracting.

Additionally, this is fun for them and gets them moving more.

It is an electronic in the true sense, but to be successful — i.e. get a lot of steps — they have to remove themselves from the electronics and get moving.

It has been very positive with increasing both of my boys’ activity levels on a daily basis, and they were quite active to begin with!

I must emphasis the point that owning the Fitbit Zip has been incredibly motivating for my sons.

My younger son especially, who we bought the Zip for his 8th birthday, has been particularly loving it.

When I pick him up from school, the first thing he does is tell me how many steps he got that day.

In the past, he would come home, sit on the couch with his snack and want to play games on the iPad.

Now, more often than not, he has a little snack and then goes to jump on our trampoline or shoots baskets just to get more steps.

Sometimes he even takes laps around the house — inside or outside — all in the quest to acquire more steps.

He is trying to do his own best, and while he enjoys doing better than the rest of us by having more steps than us, he is really happy to reach his own goal.

This has been a fun motivator for him. My other son enjoys it too and always tries to reach his 10,000 steps and to get more steps than his parents.

Overall, owning our Fitbits have been a positive thing. I seriously cannot think of anything negative about them.

More to like about Fitbit One vs Fitbit Zip

Also with both of these models Fitbit will send congratulatory emails you when you reach certain milestone “badges” such as High Tops: 20,000 steps in one day; Urban Boot: 15,000 steps in a day; Sneakers: 10,000 Steps in a day; and more.

They also send congratulations for miles logged, including London Underground: 250 lifetime miles; Penguin March: 70 lifetime miles; and Marathon: 26 lifetime miles.

There will be more badges the more steps and miles you accumulate.

It is very motivating and rewarding.

Fitbit Zip versus Fitbit One both offer fun competitions

Another bonus is that from your tablet, computer, smartphone, etc., you can find family and friends who also own Fitbits and connect with them.

It is very motivating when you see how many steps everyone else is taking, and oftentimes you will find yourself marching in place or taking a walk around the block just to up your step count.

Fitbit 7 Day Steps

After your family and friends become your Fitbit friends, you can see everyone’s steps for the last seven days.

There is a way to opt out of this if you don’t want anyone to see your steps.

Fitbit Challenges

With your Fitbit friends, you can compete in fun challenges as well.

There are four challenges in total: Daily Showdown, where you see who can get the most steps in a day; Workweek Hustle, to see who can get the most steps Monday – Friday; Weekend Warrior to see who can get the most steps Saturday and Sunday; and Goal Day, where everyone tries to reach their own personal goal, usually 10K steps that day.

You can easily invite the Fitbit friends you want to compete with whenever you choose.

Or if someone invites you to one of the challenges, you can easily accept or choose to ignore it.

A side note: We take a lot of bike rides in my family so I like that these clip models track bike riding — each pedal counts as a step — whereas the Fitbits worn on the wrist, like the Fitbit Flex, are not able to track the pedaling though you can enter in the extra activity.

In general, you will find yourself wanting to increase your steps and will be more apt to walk rather than drive.

Fitbit vs Jawbone

Fitbit has worked its way into the mainstream with their branding; however, both companies are big players in the fitness tracking market.

Both companies offer easy, step-by-step instructions, even for the novice tech person, to set up their accounts initially.

Once that is done, you simply have to sync your device and check your progress.

Sometimes you can do that right on the device, as with the Fitbit One and Fitbit Charge.

Sometimes you have to check it on the device you sync to, like your smartphone, as is the case if you own a Fitbit Flex which does not have a screen to view your steps, calories, distance travelled, etc.

Depending on the product you buy from either company, both Fitbit and Jawbone’s products offer long battery life in between charging them.

And the Fitbit Zip and Jawbone Upmove devices offer a one-time battery option that lasts 6 months and doesn’t need to be charged.

Both companies offer different sizes of wristbands so you can get the best fit.

Both Fitbit’s and Jawbone’s products offer the ability to wirelessly sync across a wide-range of platforms and devices.

Each company offers both wrist options as well as a clip model.

The Fitbit offers Fitbit One and Fitbit Zip. Jawbone offers the Jawbone Upmove.

Fitbit products

Depending on what features you are looking for, there are many Fitbit products to choose from.

Jawbone products

Jawbone has fewer products available but what they do have offers similar functionality as the Fitbit.

Some of their fitness tracking products are:

UPmove

UP2

UP3

UP4

Fitbit vs Jawbone: which is best?

There is no way you can say that one company is better than the other.

They both make fantastic fitness trackers, which attract largely good customer reviews.

Each company takes a slightly different approach to how data is collected and presented, but neither has a reputation for providing more accurate information than the other.

With fitness trackers, which is best depends very much on what you are trying to achieve.

Some people only want to measure the number of steps taken.

Others want to use their fitness device as a virtual coach.

Still others want to monitor their general health as well as their activity levels.

That is why the latest model trackers include heartbeat monitors and sleep tracking.

To help you to narrow down the options we have broken down the rest of the article into a few popular user types then looked at both the Jawbone and Fitbit ranges to find the one that suits each user best.

Naturally, this is very much my opinion, so we try to explain the rationale behind my choice to give you as much information as possible.

General fitness monitoring

For this category, Fitbit Charge HR just has the edge over the Jawbone UP2.

The fact it comes in three different wrist sizes means that you can find one to fit.

Because the Fitbit Charge HR continuously monitors your heart rate, it is good at calculating how many calories you have actually burned.

Fitbit Charge HR monitors the following:

Sleep time and quality with a built in alarm

Heart rate during workouts and while resting

Steps

It also doubles as a watch and has a nifty caller ID feature.

This is very handy, especially when you are in a meeting or talking with someone.

You have the ability to casually glance at your wrist to see who is calling instead of obviously reaching for your cell phone.

Minimalist users

If you want a simple tracker, the Jawbone UP2 is a great option.

It is perfect for someone who is not a tech fan, for example, an elderly relative that wants to get fitter.

Jawbone UP2 does the following:

Monitors steps taken

Calculates calories burned

Tracks sleep with a built in smart alarm

It does everything automatically, including detecting when you are asleep.

There are no buttons to press and no screen just a simple system of three lights that alert you when you have completed your steps for the day.

Fitbit One monitors:

Choosing Fitbit vs Jawbone

There is no doubt that fitness trackers will evolve and become even more invaluable to those wanting to monitor their fitness levels.

But the products that are available now, be it Fitbit or a Jawbone, are excellent.

You will increase your daily activity and burn more calories mostly because you will be more mindful of your activities, trying to set goals within your health and fitness range.

Maybe owning one of these products will inspire you to travel greener (Legoland California trip) by encouraging you to walk instead of drive.

While Fitbit vs Jawbone continue to come out with more products, whatever you buy now will be just fine for what you want, as it is already expert technology that you will find helpful, informative, and motivating.